1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a drive axle, in particular the drive axle of an industrial truck, with an electric motor, a differential of a traction drive oriented coaxially with the electric motor, and a reduction gear that is connected between the electric motor and the differential.
2. Technical Considerations
DE 102 11 193 A1 describes a drive axle in which, inside a common axle housing, there are a first electric motor for a traction drive and a second electric motor for a hydraulic pump of a work drive. In two of the three exemplary embodiments described in the above-referenced document, downstream of the electric motor of the traction drive are a planetary gear set and a differential. To create the space inside the axle housing required for the second electric motor, there is a bypass gear set connected to the differential. The bypass gear set has two spur gear stages that are at some axial distance from each other, and between which the second electric motor is located, oriented at a right angle to the first electric motor.
The drive axle described in the known reference is preferably provided for use in fork lift trucks. In this case, the second electric motor and the hydraulic pump of the work drive driven by it generate the lifting and tilting movements of a load lifting device.
It is an object of this invention to provide a drive axle of the general type described above but that is easier and more economical to construct.